Trump touts ‘Made in America’ push: ‘We are going to build works of beauty’

President Trump touted his “Made In America” agenda on Friday, emphasizing a push to produce and buy American-made products.

“For too long, our government’s policies have punished production in America while rewarding and encouraging the movement of production overseas, which is totally ridiculous,” Trump said in his weekly address.

“The result has been the loss of numerous industries, the decimation of entire communities, and years of sluggish growth and flat wages.”

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Trump cited previous presidents who advocated for protecting domestic industry, saying the list “includes every president on Mount Rushmore.”

“We are now, under the Trump administration, reclaiming our heritage as a manufacturing nation. We are fighting to provide a level playing field for American workers and industries. Other countries will cease taking advantage of us, believe me,” he said.

“We are going to build works of beauty and wonder — with American hands, American grit, and American iron, aluminum and steel.”

The White House has held a series of events highlighting American-made products in recent days as part of a three-week “Made in America” messaging campaign.

The campaign began on Monday with the “Made in America product showcase,” a display that featured manufactured products from all 50 states.

The campaign received criticism from a top Democrat as “hypocrisy” given Trump’s past business dealings and current products manufactured overseas. 

The messaging has tied in Trump’s hard-line position on issues such as foreign trade, which he has criticized as being unfair to the U.S.

“No longer will we allow other countries to break the rules, steal our jobs and drain our wealth,” he said in his address. “Instead, we will follow two simple but very crucial rules: We will buy American, and we will hire American.”